Ask Mr. B!

Starting today, I am starting a new feature- an opportunity to ask the wise Mr. B (the sage plush toy pictured just right) any question concerning the future. Today's question: will the heroic Jeff Garcia return to Philadelphia?

Mr. B answers: Look, it is not that I don’t love the heroic Jeff Garcia. He was great fun, played very well in the regular season, pretty good in the play-offs. He won. His weepy press conference where he declared his love for Philadelphia was great, great stuff.

But, you know what? This rabbit can’t square the circle on his return- and consequently, I don’t think he’s coming back.

I know the popular view in the hutch is that Garcia learned his lesson from the dreadful Detroit and Cleveland situations- that he isn’t the kind of quarterback who can elevate a mess. And that the Eagles learned their lesson with McMahon about trying to get back-up quarterbacks on the cheap. Okay, fine. But Garcia also proved, infinitely more importantly I might add, that he can play! I mean, someone other than Andy Reid and this Buck had to notice that, right?

And this nonsense about “going to a good team”? Please. Right now, how many teams in the NFL- if given as fact that with Garcia their quarterback position is now a plus situation- can’t concoct a rational story that they can now make the play-offs? It only takes one match, one semi-decent team with a story about being a quality quarterback away, a starting job and a checkbook doubling the Eagles’ back-up offer- and he is probably gone.

Plus, everyone kinda dismissed the Eagles’ final game as playing out the string- and drew no conclusions. But AJ Feeley sure looked like he knew what he was doing out there. Again.

You can’t argue certain facts. He seems to manage the distribution job back there. He clearly enjoys Reid’s confidence. He, even better, possesses one of the Eagles favorite traits in a veteran player- a cap friendly contract. AJ has now started more than a half-dozen games as a back-up in Philly- and he’s lost only one. He isn’t great- but he’s competent, fits the system, and he’s damn ready to go every time they point to him. I guarantee you, the Eagles think Feeley is a capable NFL back-up. So they aren’t going to kill themselves, overpay, trying to keep Garcia here.

This might change if Donovan progresses slowly- and is not ready to play this September. The Eagles then need a starting quarterback- and Garcia is clearly the guy they’d want. But I put Garcia’s return to Philadelphia as less than 50%- and almost solely dependent on what other teams do and offer.

Now I want a carrot.